Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest
Disturbance plays a key role in shaping forest composition and diversity. We used a community phylogeny and long-term forest dynamics data to investigate biotic and abiotic factors shaping tropical forest regeneration following both human and natural disturbance. Specifically, we examined shifts in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/9/556 |
| _version_ | 1811233653709078528 |
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| author | Liza S. Comita María Uriarte Jimena Forero-Montaña W. John Kress Nathan G. Swenson Jill Thompson María Natalia Umaña Jess K. Zimmerman |
| author_facet | Liza S. Comita María Uriarte Jimena Forero-Montaña W. John Kress Nathan G. Swenson Jill Thompson María Natalia Umaña Jess K. Zimmerman |
| author_sort | Liza S. Comita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Disturbance plays a key role in shaping forest composition and diversity. We used a community phylogeny and long-term forest dynamics data to investigate biotic and abiotic factors shaping tropical forest regeneration following both human and natural disturbance. Specifically, we examined shifts in seedling phylogenetic and functional (i.e., seed mass) community structure over a decade following a major hurricane in a human-impacted forest in Puerto Rico. Phylogenetic relatedness of the seedling community decreased in the first five years post-hurricane and then increased, largely driven by changes in the abundance of a common palm species. Functional structure (based on seed mass) became increasingly clustered through time, due to canopy closure causing small-seeded, light-demanding species to decline in abundance. Seedling neighbor density and phylogenetic relatedness negatively affected seedling survival, which likely acted to reduce phylogenetic relatedness within seedling plots. Across the study site, areas impacted in the past by high-intensity land use had lower or similar phylogenetic relatedness of seedling communities than low-intensity past land use areas, reflecting interactive effects of human and natural disturbance. Our study demonstrates how phylogenetic and functional information offer insights into the role of biotic and abiotic factors structuring forest recovery following disturbance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:23:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4dc723c3b07d433ca4595ab9fdc5e16a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:23:12Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-4dc723c3b07d433ca4595ab9fdc5e16a2022-12-22T03:35:18ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072018-09-019955610.3390/f9090556f9090556Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical ForestLiza S. Comita0María Uriarte1Jimena Forero-Montaña2W. John Kress3Nathan G. Swenson4Jill Thompson5María Natalia Umaña6Jess K. Zimmerman7Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT 06511, USADepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR 009325-8377, USADepartment of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USADepartment of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR 009325-8377, USAYale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT 06511, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR 009325-8377, USADisturbance plays a key role in shaping forest composition and diversity. We used a community phylogeny and long-term forest dynamics data to investigate biotic and abiotic factors shaping tropical forest regeneration following both human and natural disturbance. Specifically, we examined shifts in seedling phylogenetic and functional (i.e., seed mass) community structure over a decade following a major hurricane in a human-impacted forest in Puerto Rico. Phylogenetic relatedness of the seedling community decreased in the first five years post-hurricane and then increased, largely driven by changes in the abundance of a common palm species. Functional structure (based on seed mass) became increasingly clustered through time, due to canopy closure causing small-seeded, light-demanding species to decline in abundance. Seedling neighbor density and phylogenetic relatedness negatively affected seedling survival, which likely acted to reduce phylogenetic relatedness within seedling plots. Across the study site, areas impacted in the past by high-intensity land use had lower or similar phylogenetic relatedness of seedling communities than low-intensity past land use areas, reflecting interactive effects of human and natural disturbance. Our study demonstrates how phylogenetic and functional information offer insights into the role of biotic and abiotic factors structuring forest recovery following disturbance.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/9/556community assemblycyclonedensity dependenceenvironmental filteringhurricaneLuquillophylogenetic diversityPuerto Ricoregeneration nicheseed masssuccessiontropical forest dynamicswind disturbance |
| spellingShingle | Liza S. Comita María Uriarte Jimena Forero-Montaña W. John Kress Nathan G. Swenson Jill Thompson María Natalia Umaña Jess K. Zimmerman Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest Forests community assembly cyclone density dependence environmental filtering hurricane Luquillo phylogenetic diversity Puerto Rico regeneration niche seed mass succession tropical forest dynamics wind disturbance |
| title | Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest |
| title_full | Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest |
| title_fullStr | Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest |
| title_short | Changes in Phylogenetic Community Structure of the Seedling Layer Following Hurricane Disturbance in a Human-Impacted Tropical Forest |
| title_sort | changes in phylogenetic community structure of the seedling layer following hurricane disturbance in a human impacted tropical forest |
| topic | community assembly cyclone density dependence environmental filtering hurricane Luquillo phylogenetic diversity Puerto Rico regeneration niche seed mass succession tropical forest dynamics wind disturbance |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/9/556 |
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